High-end or nothing?

Yep, I'm with you Nikos. I'm a hobby shaver, and as such appreciate using all sorts of razors. My most expensive razor is a Charcoal Goods. Yeah, it's a good razor, but I'm perfectly happy using a Schick G injector, or a GEM razor. Many of my vintage razors are user grade, which kinda adds to the charm for me. I think some scratches and plating loss show some history and indicate they were part of someone's shaving routine for many years. With the Charcoal Goods razor, I bought it solely because it's functional artwork. You can tell Brian is passionate about what goes into his designs. Does it shave any better than a vintage "beater"? Nope - of course not. It's all technique - and a good shave is a good shave, no matter what tool you use. But, it's still fun to pick out a razor, throw a blade in it and go to town. 

Soaps are all over the place for me too. Modern Williams? Check. Grooming Dept.? Check. Stirling? You bet. It's all part of the fun.

I don't have a 'high-end only' mindset.

I started out with the first wave of modern razors....Ikon, ATT, Jagger, Muhle etc
and found them disappointing....some were ineffectual, some even harsh.

Moved to vintage DE razors and assembled quite a nice collection...maybe 15-20
really pristine cased beauties....right from the UK Aristocrat Rhodium family all the way up
to your Fatboy, Diplomats, Presidents etc. I remember looking at them all lined up in the showcase
and not feeling much of a thrill as I only reached for about 2-3 regularly. So I sold all but one and moved to
the second wave of modern DE razors.

This new line-up of modern razors totally nails the shaving experience for me. The geometries are keener,
smoother and the aesthetics beyond reproach.

Simplicity has always been key for me and I'll probably never go back to buying more razors now.
A wolfman 1.35/1.45/1.55 cover all my requrements, and that will be further whittled down to just two.

So am I a high end razor guy....guilty as charged...the only Gillette vintage that gets me revved up is
the UK Gillette Red Tip Superspeed. That razor could probably replicate a Wolfman 1.05 shave
without breaking a sweat.

I guess Im lucky not to have caught the high end shaving brush bug ... I use some very ordinary
synthetic brushes like The Simpson Trafalgar T3 and the Muhle STF XL knot.

When it comes to shaving the most important elements (for me) are razor, blade, soap. I pay
a lot of attention to those....for the rest, I just wing it.

My new approach is: stay faithful to the wolfmans, be fickle and experiment with the wonderful
variety soaps available.

Ha!  I am all over the place...there is too much great stuff across the spectrum in each category of shaving kit!  

I have extremely expensive razors, but I will reach for a STAR Model 100 or Gillette SuperSpeed often enough.  They provide beautiful shaves!

I am also the same with my soaps and creams...I love Sebum Soaps and Santa Maria Novella Cream, but I also really enjoy using my Stirling, Haslinger, and Mystic Water soaps!

Brushes...I have gravitated towards Shavemac and Simpsons, but every now and again I will break out a boar or synthetic.

Post-shave...I enjoy Sebum Serums, I also like Stirling and Speick aftershaves!

The only place where I guess I go top of the line is with my vintage DE blades about 99% of the time.  However, I usually get really good deals on them, and they last longer so I don’t mind the initial expense.  Plus it is fun to see what I can accumulate for less than most would think in the vintage blade department.

Vr

Matt

I have no idea if SOTD represents people's daily shavers or not, but I for one am not interested in seeing peoples' cheap shaving kit.  I enjoy the beauty and the artistry of the SOTD posts.

I have no idea if SOTD represents people's daily shavers or not, but I for one am not interested in seeing peoples' cheap shaving kit.  I enjoy the beauty and the artistry of the SOTD posts.

 Ha! I never thought about it this way, but it's very true. I never post on the SOTD, but I do check it out to see nice razors and cool brushes, not to see Edwin Jagger/Merkur razors haha.

Ha!  I am all over the place...there is too much great stuff across the spectrum in each category of shaving kit!  

I have extremely expensive razors, but I will reach for a STAR Model 100 or Gillette SuperSpeed often enough.  They provide beautiful shaves!

+1

Also, not only do I have "cheap" vintage razors but I have inexpensive modern ones as well.  For anyone who just wants a great shave, check out the WCS Lithe.  It is an extremely smooth razor that is deceptively efficient.  And it's only $5.

I have no idea if SOTD represents people's daily shavers or not, but I for one am not interested in seeing peoples' cheap shaving kit.  I enjoy the beauty and the artistry of the SOTD posts.

So, how much does a set-up have to cost to be post-worthy?

I really couldn't disagree more with your statement. Cheap shaving kits look nice too. There are inexpensive items that are beautiful. It doesn't have to be flashy and shiny. A good photographer can make any kit look great. If I were a mod, I'd never be one because I lose my temper easily but let's talk hypothetically here, I would motivate all people, despite of their shaving budget, to post in SOTD threads. It's not a show-off contest, unless I haven't understood correctly all these years I'm in the hobby. Now that I think about it a bit more, maybe it is. I don't care.

I made a reference to the SOTD threads because it gives an idea of what people use for their shaves. Not all the participants of a forum post there, not all of them have the time to do so. This was the reason why I also referred to the discussion board. It was just an assessment after all and it doesn't have to be right per se. People with unlimited shaving budget use mainly expensive stuff and people with a limited one use inexpesive stuff.

I'm posting two of my SOTDs below. Acoording to what you're saying, the second one isn't post-worthy, because it consists of cheap items. However, none of them is actually post-worthy, because they lack of artistry, there are no filters included or editing and they were both taken with a phone camera and not a fancy DSLR. I respect your opinion, but allow me to tell you that I also find it a bit pretentious. Good to know anyway. Coming from a mod, I have to say that's bold. Live and learn, as they say.





Have fun looking at the flashy SOTDs.

Bye.

I'm not into deciding my shave based on what will look better in frame for a photo.....or color coordinating or doing all "insert country" type of shave. This is in no way trashing those who do that or enjoy doing that. I choose not to do that because my skin is so finicky that I really just use what I think will get my skin in a better condition. I tend to use stuff that is mid tier or maybe considered high end but I use what works. If I didn't have a BBS-1, I would be totally fine using a Muhle r41 for the rest of my life and if I didn't use my favorite Italian brand for software, I have plenty of excellent options from American artisans to choose from. The important thing for me is to enjoy getting the best shaves I can and thats easier to get when I can choose what is suited for my skin's needs.

Use what you like my fellow shavers, no matter the price.

I have no idea if SOTD represents people's daily shavers or not, but I for one am not interested in seeing peoples' cheap shaving kit.  I enjoy the beauty and the artistry of the SOTD posts.

 Ha! I never thought about it this way, but it's very true. I never post on the SOTD, but I do check it out to see nice razors and cool brushes, not to see Edwin Jagger/Merkur razors haha.

I find these statements somewhat harsh.  SOTD is there to see what everyone is using, in my opinion.  Some don't include photos or descriptions yet each of those posts adds to what wet shaving is all about, in my opinion.  I'm sorry you don't like my crappy photos (and I admit they are awful) or my inexpensive gear.  However, maybe some member may look into a piece of kit because I posted it. 

We have some incredible photographers with some exceptionally beautiful gear but I don't believe price should always come into it.  Enjoy the photographic eye candy, whether it's showing something you cannot afford or something you have no interest in.  Enjoy it for what it is.

I have no idea if SOTD represents people's daily shavers or not, but I for one am not interested in seeing peoples' cheap shaving kit.  I enjoy the beauty and the artistry of the SOTD posts.

 Ha! I never thought about it this way, but it's very true. I never post on the SOTD, but I do check it out to see nice razors and cool brushes, not to see Edwin Jagger/Merkur razors haha.

I find these statements somewhat harsh.  SOTD is there to see what everyone is using, in my opinion.  Some don't include photos or descriptions yet each of those posts adds to what wet shaving is all about, in my opinion.  I'm sorry you don't like my crappy photos (and I admit they are awful) or my inexpensive gear.  However, maybe some member may look into a piece of kit because I posted it. 

We have some incredible photographers with some exceptionally beautiful gear but I don't believe price should always come into it.  Enjoy the photographic eye candy, whether it's showing something you cannot afford or something you have no interest in.  Enjoy it for what it is.

"maybe some member may look into a piece of kit because I posted it." Good point, didn't think of it that way.

I'm sure everyone has their reasons for checking out the SOTD posts, mine is mostly to see artisan made handles. Wasn't trying to be harsh.

As for the OP's orginal question, I never interpreted people sharing expensive gear as "showing off". I think they're just sharing their favorite gear, that's all, nothing more nothing less.